Professor Marie Cassidy announces retirement as State Pathologist

The State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy has announced her retirement after 14 years in her current role..

Marie T Cassidy joined the Office as Deputy State Pathologist in January 1998 and succeeded Dr. John Harbison as State Pathologist in January 2004.

“The Office of the State Pathologist is a vital part of the criminal justice system. The expertise of its scientists has helped resolve many crimes and bring perpetrators to justice and in doing this work it has been expertly led by Prof Marie Cassidy.”

-Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD

The Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan thanked Prof Cassidy for her years of ‘dedicated service’.

“I would like to thank Marie for her valuable service to the Irish people. I know that she will be greatly missed not just by her colleagues in the Office of the State Pathologist, but by all those who work with her in the criminal justice system. I wish Marie a long and happy retirement.”

The Minister also thanked the Deputy State Pathologists, Dr. Michael Curtis and Dr. Linda Mulligan, and the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr. Margo Bolster, for their ongoing work.

The Office of the State Pathologist Griffith Avenue, based in Whitehall, Dublin 9, provides a national forensic pathology service in Ireland.

The main activity of the OSP is the performance of post mortem examinations in cases of sudden, unexplained death where a criminal or suspicious element is present.

According to the OSP, the pathologists ‘deal with approximately 50 – 60 homicides per year as well as a wide range of natural and unnatural -deaths’ (for example, road traffic accidents, other accidents, drug-related deaths).

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